Good Shakes and Malts
 

While Baskin Robbins hasn't been the place to go for ice cream for years, they still make a pretty good shake or malt (unlike places like McDonald's, which has pre-made shake machines). A good shake has to be mixed. What stuns me, however, is that they are pre-made at so many places that people no longer know how to make them. They have to resort to recipes. Two out of the last four times I've requested chocolate malts, I've had to stop them from making them with chocolate ice cream. With one person, when I said I wanted a chocolate malt made with vanilla ice cream, she got so confused and upset with me that she had to get her manager who came out and made it. A chocolate shake or malt is made with VANILLA ice cream, unless you request something else. Not often, but sometimes I really do long for "the good old days." :rolleyes:

Chocolate shake is made with chocolate ice cream and syrup.

Black and white shake is made with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup.

Don't ask for a shake in Boston. Regional variations may apply.

If you're in the Southeast, Cook Out is my go to place for shakes. They have a lot of variety and they're handmade. My favorite is the Elvis (peanut butter and banana) but they have lots of good ones. Just thinking about this makes me want to hit the drive thru tonight!

Come to The City and go to Ronnybrook inside the Chelsea Market. They make a tasty shake. Then walk it off while wandering up to Shake Shack and get yourself their shake and burger. Waddle down to E 5th Street to Black Iron for their delicious burger, I suggest the pepperjack and onion burger, and a malted.

In NYC, I really like Shake Shack.

In Chicago, Oberweis is the best for all things ice cream, hands down.

Completely agree...

I wouldn't set foot in there, given the politics of the owner.

I guess we're dating ourselves. Historically, it was made with vanilla ice cream. A lot of recipes now call for chocolate.

It's a guilty pleasure. He may be a near-fascist, but he does make good ice cream.

Never drank a drop of the milk, never a taste of the ice cream (as far as I know).

Johnny Rockets can usually be counted on for a proper malted milk shake.

amen.

A guilty pleasure of mine is heading to Aglamesis Brothers when I'm in Cincinnati for a chocolate soda (made with VANILLA ice cream thank you) or a good shake.
www.aglamesis.com

Back in the day, my Pop would treat me once in awhile to a chocolate soda at Peacock's in Skokie. (been closed for a long time now: http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1554865.html )

Never thought of Cookout. Gotta to try it, thanks.

Shakes abound. Why is it so hard to find malts?

Because most places that serve shakes have shake machines. And the shake comes out like soft serve ice cream, a "recipe" for mediocrity. Generally, you can only get a malt at a place which specializes in ice cream treats. They mix their shakes (ice cream, syrup and milk) with a mixer/blender and they just add the malt powder to the mix.

I'm far from a connoisseur of milkshakes, but I had a superb salted caramel shake at 5 Napkins in Boston (though technically a small NYC chain).

Gotta second the vote for Shake Shack... Here in SoCal charlie Palmers DG Burger does a pretty darn good job as well.

sounds delicious, I've FW'd to one of my nephews who lives in Boston.

Oh, and Peninsula Creamery in Palo Alto, CA.

Er, call me confused, but how can you have a chocolate shake made with vanilla ice cream? :confused:

Completely agree on the chocolate shake being made with vanilla IC and chocolate syrup. And nobody knows what malt is. Blank stares most of the time.

Lucky for you, everyone knows what Diet Coke is! ;)

Have to give another vote for Aglamesis as I was just there this past weekend, treated my brother's family. Niece & nephew had choc shakes (made w/vanilla ice cream) and my brother & his wife decided to try my choc soda w/vanilla ice cream. Both of them gave an approving look & went up to counter to each order one.:D

While some in Cincinnati prefer Graeter's, my brother's family & myself prefer Aglamesis.

It's a bit off the beaten path, but Chaney's Dairy Barn, just south of Bowling Green, KY (http://www.chaneysdairybarn.com/) has great shakes. They make their own ice cream and whether you want a cone, a sundae or a shake it is worth a stop if you are in the area.

I will teach you, and I won't even charge :)

A proper chocolate shake or malt is always, always made with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. If chocolate ice cream is used, the chocolate syrup adds too much chocolate flavor. Since your typical shake maker has no training or intelligence, you will need to carefully instruct, or better yet buy a Hamilton Beach and make 'em at home.

Some fast food chains have improved their milkshake offerings, notably Carl's Jr./Hardee's and Jack In The Box.

You might live near a Steak & Shake restaurant, a source of excellent and many-flavored shakes and malts. OP, there are many of these in the Chicago area and throughout the Midwest.

To make malts at home, buy some Carnation Malted Milk mix and add milk and syrup to taste.
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It's all about the syrup. A chocolate sundae is also made with vanilla ice cream.

You don't have to go through MLI to get to anywhere, so
kind of out of the way for the 'travelers' that frequent FT, but, if you happen to be in the QCA (Rock Island, Moline, Davenport) area, you might try Whitey's Ice Cream. Locally owned and made in Moline.
Not cheap , only the best. http://www.whiteysicecream.com/ourmenu.asp

2 places here in STL-

1. Crown Candy Kitchen in Old North St. Louis. Delicious shakes and malts, made with house made ice cream. Come in a 24 oz tin so you'll have plenty for your friends.

2. Pi restaurant in Kirkwood. They have a milkshake bar with some amazing upscale milkshake options.

What about Ted Drewes? I've only had concretes there, but I would think they'd have good shakes and malts. No?

Ted Drewes is custard only IIRC, good but Kopps was better IMO. Custard can make a good shake, personally I prefer ice cream for great shakes.

I do know that Culver's makes an excellent strawberry shake, so I have no reason to think that Ted Drewe's wouldn't (or at least couldn't) also.

Ehh, I've never been impressed with a Ted Drewes' milkshake. They churn stuff out too quickly to make a good milkshake, and I don't like the way the custard comes out in a shake.

Concretes or sundaes, however, Ted Drewes' is full of win. My house is ~2 blocks away. It's very hard to resist the siren's call...

Steak and Shake has my vote, very yummmmy

I love Carl's Jr vanilla shakes.

Their's are good. They use hand dipped ice cream. No shake machine.

I have hesitated to post this for fear of not being believed, but--

When I lived in New York, a long time ago (and please do not ask how long ago), just out of graduate school, and from the South, I ordered a milk shake and was given a glass of milk shaken with a syrup--chocolate, I suppose, though I've forgotten. I asked what happened to the ice cream and I was given to understand that the expectation that milk shakes should contain ice cream was a southern expectation. In New York, the server said, milk shakes were not made with ice cream, that they were just shaken.

It is possible that the server was mistaken and was thinking just of--my mind has gone blank now, shaking a carbonated beverage with a syrup. But I think I recall complaining to acquaintances and was told the same thing, that in New York, milk shakes did not contain ice cream.

Anyhow, FWIW. New York now "allows" iced tea as well, and when I was there, people found the idea rather laughable. Sandwiches have changed too.

But the milk shake thing seems to be a pretty major difference.

Is anyone out there who remembers the same thing?

As I said, I hesitate to post this. Anyhow--[preparing to wince if no one else is aware of it]

I found this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milkshake

SkeptiCallie, my Dad used to tell me of similar experiences, but in Boston, not New York. He said up there you had to ask for a "frappe" or you didn't get ice cream.

Cold Stone Creamery shakes are a favourite, however a rarer pleasure given they can contain up to 2000 calories :eek:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...n-rashers.html

In terms of chains, I have to go with Steak N' Shake. Excellent milkshake.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Portillo's chocolate cake shakes. (Personally, I hate them, but they do have their fans.)